Side Market: Market Days, Location and What's Sold

Side market day: Saturday in the town centre

The public market in Side takes place every Saturday in the town centre, near Red Line Pub and Gazi Pasha Star Hotel. Local shopkeepers often decamp to stalls for the day because most visitors head straight for the bazaar, so the streets feel different from a normal weekday.

Directions vary by source: the Saturday market is also described as running in front of Side Mosque, close to Side Square, the banks and the town centre. Treat all of these as landmarks in the same central area rather than a precise address, and navigate by the mosque and square rather than a street number.

One listing gives the address as Bahçeli Evler Mah. 5044 Sokak, which is useful if you are handing it to a taxi driver.

Where to find the stalls from the old town

If you are heading from the old town, walk towards Side Square, the banks and the mosque, which sit close together in the centre. The named hotels, Red Line Pub and Gazi Pasha Star Hotel, are the other landmarks stallholders tend to use, so ask for whichever is nearest your start point.

If you are staying out in the resort strip along the beach, the walk is longer and a dolmuş or taxi makes more sense. Ask your hotel reception for the nearest stop and the current departure times rather than relying on a printed timetable.

What the Side market sells

Expect groceries and fresh produce alongside imitation bags, purses and designer-style clothing. The quality of the imitation goods is often better than visitors anticipate, which is why the market draws a crowd beyond the beach resorts.

Stallholders keep lower overheads than fixed shops, so prices are frequently keener than in the resort boutiques. For a wider choice of leather goods, textiles and handicrafts, head to Manavgat instead.

For an alternative to the weekly bazaar, the shops and the old-town market street cover much of the same ground. Our guide to Shopping in Side sets out what the resort's shops do well and where the market beats them.

Manavgat market: Monday and Thursday

Manavgat Market is significantly larger than Side's and sits in Manavgat town centre. Its main market days are Monday and Thursday, with the Monday edition listed at Pazarcı Mah. 1010 Sokak and the Thursday edition at Aşağı Hisar Mah. Gülveren Cad.

A separate Wednesday market is listed at Kasaplar Mah. Şeyh Şamil Cad. 7063 Sokak. If you are in Side on a Monday or Thursday, the trip inland gives you a much larger market than the Saturday stalls.

Textiles, leather goods, groceries, souvenirs and handicrafts fill the Manavgat stalls, and its size means you can spend considerably longer browsing. Many visitors see it as part of an organised excursion from Side, which removes the transport logistics.

How much bigger Manavgat is, and why timing matters

Manavgat Market is described as almost three times the size of Side's, which changes how you plan the day. Side's market is a couple of hours at a stroll for many visitors; Manavgat is a half-day outing once you add the journey each way.

Go early if you want the produce at its best and cooler air, and give yourself a clear meeting point if you are travelling as a group. Because the market is large, a slow circuit of the food aisles first and the clothing rows second saves doubling back.

Other weekly bazaars around Side

Several smaller bazaars serve the resort villages on set days: Çolaklı on Wednesday at Çolaklı Mah. Çevreyolu Üzeri, Sorgun on Wednesday at Örnek Mah., and Kumköy on Sunday at Sarılar Mahallesi 1092 Sokak No 1. Taşağıl Market on Wednesday at Dede Korkut Cad. No 17 is another local option.

The same listing puts a Friday Turkish Market at Yayla Mah. 2592 Sokak. These village markets are smaller and more local in character than either Side or Manavgat, and they suit anyone staying in the outlying resorts who does not want the trip into town.

The daily market street in old town Side

In the heart of the old town there is also a daily market street laid out along a limestone lane, with shops built into historic ground floors selling souvenirs, snacks, clothes and handmade hookahs. Parts of the pedestrian street are glass-covered to reveal the ancient ruins beneath your feet, which makes it a sight in itself.

Treat this as the everyday shopping option rather than a bazaar: it is there when the weekly markets are not, and it sits within easy walking distance of the harbour, theatre and museum. For a broader plan of the town, our things to do in side guide maps the ruins, harbour and old-town lanes.

Getting there by dolmuş, taxi or tour

Dolmuş minibuses are the cheapest way to reach both Side's and Manavgat's markets and run regularly between the resort areas and the town centres. Their fixed routes and schedules can make the return trip awkward once you are loaded with shopping, so check the last convenient departure before you set out.

Taxis are the fastest option but cost more. Organised excursions include hotel transfers and are the least stressful route for first-time visitors, especially in the busy summer season.

Some tours combine the market with a boat trip along the Manavgat River and the coast, with lunch on board and transfers back to your hotel. That pairing suits anyone who wants shopping and a day out in one booking rather than two separate journeys. For the practical details, see the Manavgat river.

Opening hours and how long to allow

One guide gives opening hours of roughly 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., while other listings show 08:00 to 21:00. Check the current times locally before a late-afternoon visit; the morning is the safer window for produce.

Allow about two hours for Side's market and half a day for Manavgat once travel is included. Keep bags zipped in the crowds and wear comfortable shoes for uneven ground.

Haggling at the stalls

Vendors at these markets enjoy friendly bargaining, so chat first, ask the price and counter with a smile rather than a hard push. Buying more than one item gives you a reasonable basis for asking for a rounder figure.

Fixed-price groceries and food stalls are not the place to negotiate; the back-and-forth belongs with bags, clothing and souvenirs. Walk away politely if the price does not suit, and check the item carefully before agreeing.

Markets versus shops in the resort

The Saturday market wins on atmosphere, fresh produce and the chance to bargain, while the resort shops and the old-town market street offer fixed prices and air conditioning. If you are short on time or the weather is punishing, the shops are the lower-effort choice.

A large indoor store is sometimes offered as an alternative to Manavgat for visitors who prefer a comfortable, organised shopping environment. For eating around the old town afterwards, our pick of the best restaurants in side covers harbour-side and back-street options.

Combining a market visit with a day out

Pair the Saturday market with a morning in the old town and an afternoon boat trip, or make the Manavgat market the centre of a Monday or Thursday outing. Building the day around the market day rather than squeezing it in avoids wasted journeys.

Some boat trips are sold with time at the market included, which simplifies timing but reduces flexibility on how long you linger at the stalls. Confirm the return pick-up point and time before boarding, particularly when shopping is part of the trip.

Which market should you plan around?

Build your week around Saturday if you want the local Side experience, and around Monday or Thursday if you want the full-scale Manavgat bazaar. Village markets at Çolaklı, Sorgun, Kumköy and Taşağıl fill the other days for anyone staying outside the centre.

If your dates miss all of them, the daily old-town market street and the resort shops give you a shopping option on the other days. Our Side bazaar guide covers the market scene in more depth, and the Things to Do in Side guide helps you slot shopping around the ruins and harbour.